Greece has presented what it calls its strictest-ever plan to deter migrants, including proposals for “return hubs” outside Europe, as it urges EU partners to prioritize deportations and overhaul asylum procedures.
Greece has presented fellow EU governments with its strictest plan to date for deterring migrants and is pushing for the creation of “return hubs” outside the continent. Greek migration minister Thanos Plevris used a meeting of EU interior ministers in Copenhagen on Tuesday to urge prioritization of deportations and the establishment of pre-departure holding centers to stem migrant arrivals.
Greece’s draft law on illegal immigration, currently under public consultation, includes provisions for swifter asylum rejections, stricter prison terms, reduced benefits, and possible electronic surveillance for illegal entrants. “The new Greek legislation has aroused particular interest among ministers, as it is seen as the strictest ever submitted at EU level,” a Greek official said, noting numerous requests for bilateral meetings with Plevris from Austria, France, Germany, and EU border agency Frontex.
The Greek government plans to introduce “disincentives” for migrants, including reviewing meal offerings in camps. “The return of illegal migrants must be our top priority,” Plevris told reporters, advocating for “return hubs” in third countries “not just outside the European Union, but beyond the European continent,” and named Albania, Libya, and Tunisia as possible hosts.
Plevris acknowledged the challenge of aligning such measures with EU law, citing significant migration pressure, especially on Crete and from Libya. “For our own society, the flows of illegal immigrants are very large. I cannot say that we can manage it,” he said, noting that Crete sees 1,000 arrivals daily and Libya has 3 million migrants.
Since the start of the year, 9,000 people from Libya have landed on Crete, almost double the total for all of 2024. Earlier this month, Greece suspended processing asylum applications for those arriving from North Africa and said it would forcibly return them, without registration, for an initial three months. A Greek official said neither EU ministers nor the Commission raised objections to the suspension.
At a joint press conference, EU Commissioner for Home Affairs Magnus Brunner and the Danish EU Council presidency emphasized that migration regulation reform is a top priority. “We are pushing for the reform of [the] asylum and migration system with the migration pact as [a] solid basis,” Brunner said, but acknowledged missing elements such as a returns regulation and updated lists of safe countries of origin.
Danish Integration Minister Kaare Dybvad highlighted the need for a coordinated EU returns policy, noting, “Every day thousands of people seek asylum, but it’s only around half of the people that actually get protection. Of the half that doesn’t get protection, only a fourth of them actually returns.”
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